Processor-based systems use memory devices, such as dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) devices, to store data (e.g. representing instructions, data to be processed, etc.) that are accessed by the processor. In a typical computer system, the processor communicates with the system memory including the memory devices through a processor bus and one or more memory controllers. In some memory systems, a group of memory devices of the system memory are controlled by an associated memory controller. The processor issues to the memory controller a memory request including a memory command, such as a read command, and an address designating the location from which data are to be read from memory. The memory controller uses the command and address to generate appropriate memory commands as well as row and column addresses, which are applied to the memory devices associated with that memory controller. In response to the commands and addresses, data is transferred between the memory devices and the processor.
Memory devices require a certain amount of time to service a memory request due to the time necessary to access the appropriate rows and columns of the memory device and actually retrieve the requested data. Further time is required to drive read data and read commands onto and off of a common interface between the memory devices and the controller. Although the operating speed of memory devices is continually increasing, the increase in device speed has not kept pace with increases in the operating speed of processors. The operation of the memory device itself therefore often limits the bandwidth of communication between the processor and the system memory.
To improve overall memory access bandwidth, one memory controller typically controls access to more than one memory device. In some systems, the processor interfaces with several memory controllers, each of which in turn control access to several memory devices. In this manner, further memory commands may be issued by a processor or memory controller while waiting for a memory device to respond to an earlier command, and bandwidth is improved. When a memory controller shares a common interface with multiple memory devices however, timing problems may occur. Commands and addresses sent from the memory controller, which are represented by electrical signals coupled to conductive signal lines of the interface, may reach different memory devices at different times, depending on the layout of the memory system. Furthermore, different memory devices may take different amounts of time to respond to memory commands depending on the process variations that occurred during fabrication of the memory devices. Variations in temperature may also cause variation in response time between memory devices.
Accordingly, there is a danger of a conflict on the common interface between multiple memory devices and a memory controller. For example, one memory device may attempt to place read data on the interface at the same time as data from another memory device is being carried by the interface. Such a data collision would result in a loss of usable data and is unacceptable. This problem can be alleviated by providing a common clock signal to each memory device that is synchronized to a system clock signal used by the memory controller. Each memory device may then decide when to place data on the interface by counting received clock periods. By referencing a common clock signal the memory device can ensure it places data onto the bus during a clock cycle designated for its use. When the memory device places data onto the interface, it then also sends a data strobe signal for use by the controller in identifying and synchronizing received read data. The use of common clock signals for synchronizing operation of the memory devices and strobe signals may require additional circuitry and further pins on the memory device.
However, the transmission of clock signals for each memory device may increase complexity of the system and consumes space and power at the memory device. Further, it may be desirable to decrease the number of output pins on the memory device. What is needed is a system that avoids data collisions on a common interface but does not rely on the use of a common clock signal at the memory device.